The installation timing of recessed durable pavement marking materials is critical. Durable pavement markings can last three to five years or more when properly installed. The preferred method for installation is to mill the recess and place the material after all restoration work has been completed. This includes any work that may result in heavy vehicles or construction equipment turning on the line or tracking material over a recessed area.

It is important that the recess areas be kept clean until the durable marking is applied. Recessing and striping in stages can sometimes increase the potential of damaging the newly placed line which may affect the long term performance of the material.

If required, Type NR paint or Type R tape can be used to open lanes to traffic during stage construction until final restoration is complete. If final restoration is completed after the seasonal limitations for durable markings, the contract should be left open for the durable markings to be placed during the following season.

All self-propelled pavement marking vehicles must complete the process described below to be certified by the department. Contractors must be on the MDOT prequalified contractors list for Pavement Marking (N3) prior to requesting certification.

All test requests are to be submitted to the Engineer of Construction Field Services. The test location will be coordinated between the contractor and the MDOT representative witnessing the test.

Pavement marking vehicles are required to meet subsection 811.03 of the 2012 Standard Specifications for Construction.

The vehicle must be able to place 4, 6, and 12 inch (if applicable) lines to specifications or it will not be certified to work on MDOT roadways. If the vehicle is only successful in placing a 4 and/or 6 inch line, it will be certified to place material on non-freeway routes only.

With the collection container placed under a bead gun, the operator delivers one five second sample of beads into the container.

If the bead volume collected in the container corresponds with the 15 mil Bead Calibration Chart, then the pavement marking vehicle can be certified at the respective speed, providing that STEP 2 is successful.

Example:

The operator decides to be tested for a speed of 10 mph. With a drop rate of 8 pounds per gallon (from contractor), the five second sample was measured at 550 milliliters. Comparing the rate with the chart, it is found that the equipment is capable of delivering the required amount of beads at 10 mph (540 ml required), but not at 11 mph (585 ml required). The vehicle can be certified at 10 mph provided STEP 2 is successful. If the operator intends to apply markings at a higher speed, the delivery of glass beads must be increased and measured again.

Place a thin aluminum plate on the ground, using duct tape to hold it in place. Place the plate so the entire width of the marking will be contained on the plate.

The operator will place a line of paint on the plate at the desired equipment certification speed as determined in STEP 1. The operator must shut the bead gun off prior to striping over the plate. The MDOT certification representative will measure vehicle speed with a radar gun.

Immediately after the plate has been striped, place the mil thickness gauge into the wet material. The plate may be removed from the ground prior to testing, but care must be taken to keep the plate from being tilted, which will cause material runs and sags. Insert the gauge at the center of the line and 6-10 millimeters (~ one quarter to one third of an inch) from both outside edges. All three locations must be tested. Do not slide the gauge as this will give a false reading. Wipe the gauge clean between each measurement. Do not allow paint material to build up on the edges of the gauge. If buildup does occur, carefully scrape the edges clean with a knife. Immediately replace any gauges that are damaged. When the gauge is placed and removed from the line, the paint material will touch an indented tab, but not touch the next. This area between the touch points is the mil thickness.

If the three gauge measurements are 15 mils (tolerance of + 1 mil) and the line is the appropriate width (tolerance of + 0.25 inch), the vehicle is certified for that speed, provided the vehicle is at the same speed as in STEP 1.

Example:

All three measured points should be very close in comparison to each other. If the measurements are too thick or thin in one area of the line, show these areas to the operator so that the pavement marking equipment can be adjusted. Once adjustments have been made, place another plate and repeat the procedure until the line is uniform in appearance.

The operator will be given three (3) opportunities for each line width. After three (3) unsuccessful attempts for any line width, the equipment will be denied certification and the MDOT certification representative will leave. The contractor will be responsible for making repairs/adjustments to the equipment and rescheduling an appointment no sooner than five (5) business days from the previous attempt.

If the operator was successful in STEP 1 and is successful in placing the four (4) inch line, but unsuccessful at the six (6) inch line width (after three attempts), the vehicle will be certified for non-MDOT routes only. The contractor will be responsible for making repairs/adjustments to the equipment and rescheduling an appointment no sooner than five (5) business days from the previous attempt if certification for MDOT routes is desired.

The contractor will be allowed three (3) appointments to accomplish STEP 1 and STEP 2. If a vehicle cannot be certified at the third appointment, the equipment will not be eligible for certification until the following pavement marking season.

When STEPS 1 and 2 have been successfully completed, a certification sticker will be placed in the door of the vehicle with the truck number, name of MDOT certification representative, date of certification, expiration date, material type, line widths certified and maximum vehicle speed for each line width. A hard copy of the certification is to be provided to the contractor and placed in the respective ProjectWise Pavement Marking directly.

The certified equipment may not place a line at a speed higher than noted on the certification sticker.

A vehicle may need to be re-certified if it changes the type of material that it is applying. The MDOT representative will determine if the change in material is of a nature that requires re- certification.

The operator shall stripe four (4) inch skip lines on no less than 1,250 feet of continuous roadway as agreed upon by the MDOT certification representative and the contractor.

The operator shall stripe no less than 1,250 feet of continuous six (6) inch edge line on a roadway as agreed upon by the MDOT certification representative and the contractor.

The operator may be required to place a new line or retrace an existing line. Line placement is to be done at the discretion of the MDOT certification representative.

The contractor shall supply all appropriate traffic control and convoy vehicles for STEP 3 necessary to complete the work as agreed upon with the MDOT certification representative.

When STEP 1, 2 and 3 are completed to the tolerances specified in the 2012 Standard Specifications for Construction and to the MDOT certification representative’s satisfaction, the vehicle will be recertified.

A vehicle’s certification may be revoked at any time during the striping season by a construction/project engineer for failure to place material within the tolerances noted in Subsection 811.03 of the 2012 Standard Specifications for Construction. Reason(s) for revocation will be documented by the engineer and provided to the contractor and the Construction Operations Engineer in Construction Field Services. If the certification sticker is removed from a vehicle, the certification is considered revoked and the vehicle is no longer approved to place pavement markings on MDOT roadways. Construction Field Services will maintain the list of certified vehicles and post all information in ProjectWise for statewide access. Revocation of certification notices will be provided to region construction engineers for construction distribution.

When certification is revoked, the recertification process will begin at STEP 1. The contractor must successfully complete STEPS 1 and 2, and also complete STEP 3 as described below. The recertification process shall take place no sooner than five (5) business days after the certification was revoked. The contractor may schedule no more than two (2) appointments to re-certify a vehicle (with a minimum of five (5) business days between appointments). If after the second attempt, the contractor fails to achieve recertification, the failed vehicle shall not be allowed to place pavement markings on MDOT routes for that pavement marking season.

Prior to April 1 of a given year, Construction Field Services will send notice to all prequalified pavement marking contractors inquiring if they have any pavement marking material in their yard for use in the upcoming construction season.

The contractor must provide certification for liquid and solid applied pavement marking materials that have been stored per the manufacturer’s requirements. The certification is defined as a letter from the contractor stating they certify that all liquid and solid applied pavement marking materials have been stored per the manufacturer’s requirements. Materials not in compliance with this requirement should be rejected and/or removed. This is a requirement of the Special Provision for Pavement Marking Materials. The engineer may also inspect the contractor’s storage facility/yard.

Form 1585, Pavement Marking Material Verification Checklist was developed to assist in documenting materials at the contractor yards and this form is required on every project with pavement markings. This form is to be completed at the beginning of each pavement marking contract season and a new form 1585 is to be completed when requested by the contractor if they have acquired new material or as deemed appropriate by the engineer. Contractors are to inform MDOT when they receive new materials.

The engineer or their designee charged with verifying the information will visit the respective storage yards that will be utilized by the contractor. Form 1585 is to be used during the yard visit to help with material documentation requirements. Completing part 2 of the form will identify the materials visible at the yard. Part 3 can be used to document the material documentation details. Photos of a label or the label itself can also be used for the material documentation requirements. An electronic or hard copy of the form is to be placed in the project files. Copies of completed forms are to be provided to the respective pavement marking contractor.

The pavement marking contractor provides form 501, Materials Source List, at the preconstruction meeting. This form will specify the materials along with product names that will be used and the approximate quantity for each item. The Materials Source List is not a substitute for other required material quality control and quality assurance documentation. The contractor must provide a complete and signed Materials Source List to the engineer in accordance with subsection 105.01 of the 2012 Standard Specifications for Construction. The materials source list may be submitted at or prior to the pre-construction meeting as well as any time material sources or quantities (only if tested material) change or become evident. In addition, the location of the materials (contractor’s yard) is to be specified so the engineer can cross check that information with the information on form 1585. This information is then placed in the project files. If an inspector can read the label in the field from the paint drums on the equipment they should place this information on an IDR.

Subsection 811.03.D of the Standard Specifications for Construction states in part the following:

Document moisture testing and provide results to the Engineer

The following procedure may be used to document moisture testing when weather conditions have resulted in potential moisture on the pavement.

An 18 inch by 18 inch sheet (4 mil) of transparent polyethylene shall be taped to the pavement. All edges will be sealed with tape (e.g. duct) that will stick to the pavement and not allow the infiltration of air. Leave the plastic sheet in place for 10 minutes to detect the presence of moisture. There must be no moisture visible on the polyethylene sheet after the 10 minute time has elapsed. If there is no indication of moisture, pavement marking may begin. Alternate methods to detect moisture may be submitted to the engineer for review and approval.

Record the date, time, truck number, material, temperature, contractor and location of the sample on the back of an aluminum plate.

Place the aluminum plate on the ground, using duct tape to hold it in place. Place the plate so the entire width of the marking will be contained on the plate.

Allow the striper to pass over the plate. Note the time when the striper passes over the plate. Carefully remove the plate from the road, keeping it level until the material is dry. Once the plate is dry, turn it over and record the dry time. Dry is defined as the paint no longer runs (flows) and invalidates the test.

Place the dried plate into the plastic bag and seal the bag so that any loose beads are captured in the bag and will not be lost.

Perform plate sampling as described within this document.

If there appears to be a problem, notify the operator and contractor immediately. The contractor must adjust the equipment so the pavement marking is placed to MDOT specifications. Refer to Sections 811, 812, 920, and 922 of the 2012 Standard Specifications for Construction.

The engineer is to randomly sample pavement marking placement for verification of application rates. Sampling is completed with the use of sampling plates placed in the direct path of the pavement marking application guns. The engineer must allow an appropriate distance at the start of the operation for the contractor’s pavement marking vehicle to achieve an appropriate speed. The engineer is to check the plates for dry material thickness including beads, width of line, bead uniformity and line uniformity. Three locations on the plate are to be sampled and the average of the three locations recorded on an IDR, with additional information as noted below. Table 1 - Dry Mil Thickness of Liquid Applied Products as provided below shows the required dry mil thickness of liquid applied products. Refer to the contract documents for additional information and requirements.

The IDR should include the following information: date, location, material type, compliance with specifications, truck number, certification date, speed, type of line (edgeline, centerline, etc.) and mil thickness as well as any other pertinent information. If the plate sample meets specifications the process is complete and the passing plate sample must be noted on an IDR. If the plate sample does not meet MDOT specifications, the engineer should consult with Construction Field Services for appropriate action. The failing plate sample information must also be recorded on an IDR. All plate samples are to be retained until project completion and final acceptance.

1. Pavement marking pay items are not to be paid solely based on contractor submittals.

2. Construction staff must visually verify that pavement marking work was completed per a field review. Visual inspection is

required on all pavement marking applications to ensure that placement occurred for the contractor reported quantities. The visual inspection can occur either during placement or in a timely manner after work has been completed. Visual verification information is to be noted on an Inspector’s Daily Report (IDR) and must occur prior to processing of payment for work completed. Visual inspection means field verification that material has been placed for all reported locations. Spot checking (checking a portion of completed work) is not allowed. It should be noted that visual inspection is not a re-measurement of quantities placed. Visual inspection verification can be provided by any MDOT staff (e.g. maintenance supervisors, design staff, etc.).

3. Upon completion of visual inspection verification, payment up to plan quantity is to occur based on contractor submittals and material documentation compliance. Contractor values may be accepted if the values are less than the distance noted in the contract documents (e.g., breakdown, segment, log, sequence, location, pay item, etc.) and the pay item quantity. However, if the contractor’s numbers are greater than the contract amount, construction staff must field measure the discrepancy and pay to the field measured quantity. Field measurements of discrepancies are to be coordinated with the prime contractor and the pavement marking subcontractor as both parties must be present for all discrepancy field measurements. Payment is to be promptly processed for work satisfactorily completed and field verified.

4. Construction staff in coordination with design staff are asked to continually ensure that pavement marking log quantities are up to date, accurate, and provided to the Region/TSC design squad and the pavement marking program office.

5. Plate sampling information must be recorded on an IDR. Information that must be included is; date of sample, location, time, weather, pay item sampled, thickness values, and any other pertinent plate sampling information.

6. Partial payment of quantities within log sequences, segments, or other pay item groupings is permitted. Visual confirmation of work completed must be documented and placed in the project files.

7. Pavement marking vehicle inspections are to take place before the start of a project and anytime thereafter during the life of the project.

8. The engineer may request samples of pavement marking materials from the contractor.

9. Binder and bead plate samples should be taken during pavement marking operations to provide a sample of the actual quality of line being placed by the contractor (refer to Binder and Bead Plate Sample section in this document).

10. Approval of Value Engineering Change Proposals (VECP) submitted during construction for changing materials from tape to paint are discouraged when solely utilized for cost savings.

11. The contractor should provide advanced notice of their striping schedule to the engineer.

12. Advanced notice is required to ensure adequate time to be able to place test plates according to the testing frequency noted in this document. This topic should be discussed at the preconstruction meeting and any requirements must be shown in the maintaining traffic special provision.

2. Where do the counties/consultants get the aluminum plates? What are the plate specifications?

MDOT does not provide plates to local agencies or consultants. These plates are simply strong to stay on the roadway during striping operations and able to be used as a firm surface. Approximate plate dimensions are 6 inches by 12 inches by 0.05 inches.

3. The Binder and Bead Plate Sample equipment list (on page 7 of the IM) does not include any equipment to check the dry material thickness. Do the local agencies/consultants need the equipment noted on Step 2 of the Material Thickness Test (part of the equipment certification) on page 2 of the IM? Where can the agencies obtain the Mil Thickness Gauge if it is required?

Yes, the administering agency should have the equipment as noted. Local agencies/consultants will need to acquire a caliper/micrometer to verify the thickness of the dry paint.

4. How are the counties/consultants supposed to verify the truck speed when it paints over the plate for the random sampling?

Truck speed should be measured with a radar or lidar speed gun.

5. Is there any consideration in regards to the quantity of pavement markings placed vs. length (i.e.: the minimum plate sample requirements appear to be based on project length, though a 4 lane road in an urban area may have significantly more feet of pavement markings than a 2 lane rural section or roadway)?

The minimum plate sampling requirements have been agreed to with the FHWA and industry.

6. If the pavement marking convoy arrives on the project after normal working hours, is it realistic to expect an inspector to remain on site or return to the site to witness 1000 ft of pavement marking (roughly $160) for a 1/2 mile job for example?

Project staff must verify that the markings were placed. This doesn’t necessarily mean constant observations. The guidance states the following: “The visual inspection can occur either during placement or in a timely manner after work has been completed.”

This section provides the Michigan Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) plan of action for complying with the turn arrow pavement marking shape, as defined in the federal Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

MDOT is requiring the MUTCD compliant arrow on projects that include placement of turn arrow special pavement markings at locations:

Where a new arrow installation is planned on a new pavement surface;

Where placement of an arrow is entirely new; and

Where the existing arrow is planned for removal via grinding methods.

MDOT is developing and coordinating with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to formally adopt a Standard Plan, PAVE-900-D, which provides detail for both the MUTCD compliant arrow and the modified version of the existing arrow. In the meantime, Special Detail, PAVE-900-D, has been posted to the Traffic and Safety, Standards and Special Details website, under the Pavement Markings general category heading. The special detail includes both turn arrow shapes and when to use each.

At all locations where a new turn arrow is being placed due to resurfacing, adding arrows, or removing the existing arrow via grinding, the new MUTCD compliant arrow must be used. Where a second application is being placed over an existing turn arrow, the Special Detail
PAVE-900-D modified version of the existing turn arrow must be placed. Remaining inventory of 2013 standard turn arrows will be allowed for temporary use, only where the marking will either be removed or covered at construction completion and this is only acceptable for the 2014 construction season. Where turn arrows have not yet been placed, the Engineer must process a contract modification for a negotiated pavement marking revision cost. An extra cost value for each new federal compliant arrow has been negotiated with industry. The additional cost per arrow is $15.00 based on increased materials and labor. The cost is per turn arrow, therefore, a doubled headed arrow pavement marking will be twice the negotiated value. This revision is to be incorporated with federal funding participation and in most cases will use category 0001 funding. Local agency projects may incorporate this change as requested by the contractor and approved by the Engineer, but the revision is not mandatory.

In the fall of each year field staff is to process a uniform price adjustment when regular dry or low temperature waterborne paint is substituted for waterborne paint due to seasonal limitations. This price adjustment is to be made in accordance with the Special Provision for Early/Late Season Striping for Permanent Pavement Markings, which is included in all contracts with a combined total of 30,000 ft or more of the pay items: Pavt Mrkg, Waterborne, _inch, (color). Payment is to be processed as noted under section d. Measurement and Payment of the special provision in the contract documents.

Construction projects including the pay item(s), “Pavt Mrkg, Ovly Cold Plastic, _” and/or “Pavt Mrkg, Polyurea, _” may require regular dry or low temperature waterborne paint to be substituted when placement is outside seasonal and temperature limitations of waterborne paint as described in section 811 of the Standard Specifications for Construction. Cold plastic and polyurea may be used outside the specified dates and temperatures only when approved by the Engineer.

The item descriptions for regular dry and/or low temperature waterborne paint that is placed are as follows with a pay unit of SFT:

Pavt Mrkg, Ovly Cold Plastic, Temp, Cold Weather, _

Pavt Mrkg, Polyurea, Temp, Cold Weather, _

These pay items will be processed only for the total quantity of regular dry or low temperature waterborne paint that is placed outside seasonal and temperature limitations as a substitute for Pavt Mrkg, Ovly Cold Plastic, _ or Pavt Mrkg, Polyurea, _. Utilize MDOT traffic standard PAVE 900 (page 7 of 8) table for special marking removal areas to calculate the applicable paint placement square footage value for items typically placed by the foot or each. The temporary cold weather special marking unit price includes preparation and placement of the painted special marking(s) and removal of these markings the following season. Placement of the original intended pavement marking(s) the following season is to be paid with original contract pay items. Contractors who are in liquidated damages between October 2 and April 30 inclusive are not eligible for this price adjustment.

Pavt Mrkg, Ovly Cold Plastic, Temp, Cold Weather, _ or Pavt Mrkg, Polyurea, Temp, Cold Weather, _ will be paid for as a revision to the contract. The unit price for Pavt Mrkg, Ovly Cold Plastic, Temp, Cold Weather, _ and Pavt Mrkg, Polyurea, Temp, Cold Weather, _ will be based on the total quantity placed of each item using industry negotiated unit costs as follows: